Powerful mindset and heartset, isn’t it? That’s just a glimpse of what I am learning through Andratesha “Tesha” Fitzgerald’s writings. My mission, as a Family Partnerships Specialist, is to see families/caregivers of students, school staff, and community leaders work together successfully.

Each of us brings unique strengths, visions, and skills to this interdependent system. When everyone is represented, everyone benefits: students succeed in school; teachers shine and have more time to focus on instruction; families/caregivers feel respected, valued, and have their families’ needs met; and community leaders shape our communities to be more welcoming and inclusive.

Here at MASFEC, we liken our mission of family engagement to NASA’s missions. To be successful, NASA’s mission control depends on the varied knowledge, skills, and perspectives of each and every member of their team. The same is true in our cities and towns! We need parents, school staff, and community leaders making decisions together to create and sustain equitable family engagement.

A great resource you can use to start conversations about family engagement in your city or town are these one-page information sheets on Family Engagement for Providers, and Family Engagement for Families, which are both available in English, Spanish, and Portuguese.

If you, your group, or your community have an interest in taking family engagement to the next level, please email me at mchapman@fcsn.org. As Tesha has taught me, your success is my mission.

Generations United recently published three new toolkits, highlighting the importance of providing culturally-appropriate support and resources to grandparents who are raising their grandchildren (grandfamilies).

Learn more about Intelligence Testing and how they are used in educational settings.

Learn more about how schools, mental health professionals, and others use SEL Screenings to support students.

Following troubling events, it's often difficult to know what to say to children and teens. While we don’t have the answers to everything, here are some resources to help:

Pride month may be behind us, but it's always a good time to affirm and empower LGBT+ kids. Check out these book recommendations to help young people celebrate diverse identities as they seek to understand themselves and others.

Mid-month we posted about ways to celebrate Juneteenth with your friends and family. In case you missed it, check out our Twitter post. Follow our MASFEC Twitter so you don't miss out on posts like this in the future.

Are you interested in learning how to do more in your community?

Then you may be interested in MassPAC's SEPAC Summer School for family members who are (or who might want to be) involved in their local Parent Advisory Councils.

FCSN offers a wide array of workshops and trainings for families, educators, healthcare, and service providers in English, Spanish, Portuguese, Chinese, Haitian Creole, and Vietnamese. Check out upcoming workshops including: